The Museum, opened in 1981, is located at Cuatro Vientos Air Base and its purpose is to acquire, conserve and display the assets that form part of the Historical Heritage of Spanish Aeronautics.  Given the number of aircraft it houses, it is classified as one of the top five aeronautical museums in Europe. 

It has an exterior exhibition and seven hangars, which display around thirty planes and several helicopters, uniforms, medals, engines, models and other collections related to aviation.

At the end of the Spanish Civil War and once the Air Force had been created, the idea to create a museum that would reflect the evolution and history of Spanish aeronautics was put forward. In 1966, the Decree to set it up was signed.

Initially, it was planned to be set up in the rooms on the ground floor of the Ministry, in Plaza de la Moncloa, to display objects, models and historical documents and to exhibit the few planes that it had at that time in one of the courtyards.  However, the acquisition or donation of a series of historic aircraft led to this initial plan being abandoned in 1969. Finally, the Cuatro Vientos Aerodrome was the chosen venue, using the hangar of the first Aeronautical Engineering School (now the Air Force Transmissions School), where the existing aviation material was moved.

Since it was opened, it has been extended in 1993 and 2003.